More Christmas Cookies

Big Batch Gluten Free Christmas Sugar Cookies
adapted from Special Diets for Special Kids 2
by Only Sometimes Clever

Here is a family favorite. My kids love all the different variations we can make with this recipe for gluten free sugar cookies. I found this posting at Karen’s blog, Only Sometimes Clever. I have added some of my own preferences to the original recipe from her blog. Karen has a page with over 40 gluten free recipies. Many of those are health conscious and multiple alergen conscious but oh so good!

Flour Mix: I like to mix this ahead of time in a galon ziploc bag

4 Cup brown rice flour

2 Cup sweet rice flour

2 Cup tapioca or potato starch

1 Cup amaranth flour

2 Tablespoons xanthan gum

3 Tablespoons baking powder

Wet Ingredients:

3 Cups powdered sugar

2 Cups granulated sugar

2 Cups shortening

6 eggs

1/4 Cup vanilla

1 Tablespoon salt

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees F. These cookies do not spread

MIX flours, starches, xanthan gum and baking powder with a whisk OR combine well in a galon ziploc bag. Set aside.

ADD flour mixture a little at a time stirring with a wooden spoon. Once the flour mixture is mostly incoporated, KNEAD the dough in the bowl or between sheets of wax paper. The mixture will have the consistency of play-doh, but not too soft. If it is too dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time until it will gather into a ball. Resist adding water if at all possible. The dough works best if it is not very moist. Unless a crispy cookie is desired, BAKE at 325 degrees F until the edges are just golden on insulated pans. I bake mine on stones and get a lighter fluffier cookie. It’s all a matter of preference.

I split the dough in four and work from there. This recipe makes FOUR complete batches of cookies. That’s a LOAD of cookies folks. The recipe halves fine too, although I prefer to make the whole thing, wrap in plastic, put in ziploc bags and refrigerate up to 2wks. Karen says it also freezes well though we can never keep it that long.🙂

Variations:

The cookies at the top are made by mixing cocoa powder into some of the dough and rolling that out into a thin rectangle. Then using a plain dough, roll that into another rectangle, placing it on top of the first chocolate rectangle then making the whole thing into a long log. Refrigerate or freeze until firm and slice for cookies.

Food Fun

Gluten Free Favorites

Sourdough Update

Many of you have been checking back for results on my sourdough creation. At the moment it is still a science experiment, but a happy, bubbly experiment. Never fear, recipes will be here! I did make a beautiful, moist and delicious loaf of sourdough using yeast and a myriad of other ingredients but I'm still trying to create something more user friendly. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a starter on the counter that you could add 4 things to and have a loaf of bread by dinner? Mmmm!
Attempt #1 - rose well but resulted in a dense chewy blob
Attempt #2 - rose ok but was thin and lifeless then fell and another dense (not so chewy) blob
Attempt #3 - to the dogs!
Attempt #4 - A sourdough pancake success see post under what's for breakfast gluten-free goof?
Ongoing - I've tried several more times and am going to try a completely different approach on the bread starting this week. (Mar 18). My sourdough is still happy on my counter and it makes great pancakes but it's a lot of work just for pancakes. Keep checking!
April Update:
She is still kickin and I'm still workin on a yeast free, gluten free sourdough loaf!
May Update:
My sourdough "pet" has been dried and retired until next baking season. I've traded her in for a hotter model, the BBQ! :)